Report: Ron Howard the Frontrunner to Finish ‘Han Solo’

We’re still reeling from the news that Phil Lord and Chris Miller have walked off (or been fired from) the Han Solospinoff Star Wars anthology film, but this movie has a release date in less than a year, and it is coming to theaters with Lord and Miller or not. Although the news that the directing duo was not finishing Han Solo was announced today, the search for a replacement is already underway. Deadline says that Lucasfilm’s top pick at the moment is Ron Howard, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of movies like Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code:

Howard has been busy as ever and recently agreed to direct a feature docu on Luciano Pavarotti while developing numerous features that includes an adaptation of the publishing phenomenon of Hillbilly Elegy, but I am hearing that he might well step right in here and keep the film on track.

As for more of the reasons behind the breakup between Lord and Miller and Lucasfilm,The Hollywood Reporter has a story about the duo clashing “almost immediately” with Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back and took a major creative role in bringing The Force Awakens to the screen. Lord and Miller, THR claims, have “a comedic and improvisational style while Kasdan favors a strict adherence to the written word – what is on the page is what must be shot.” Ultimately, Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy sided with Kasdan, which meant Lord and Miller had to go.

THR also notes that Kasdan himself, an experienced director in his own right, could be the guy who ultimately takes over Han Solo instead of Howard or anyone else. Han Solo is supposed to open May 25, 2018, so a decision will have to be made soon.